Ofcom has published its latest findings into the news consumption habits of people in the UK from age 12 upwards.
Below is a summary of the report’s findings.
The report highlights a significant shift in news consumption patterns, with audiences fragmented across various platforms and sources based on age. Younger age groups, particularly 16-24-year-olds, heavily rely on online sources, especially social media, for news consumption. Older age groups, aged 55 and over, still prefer traditional platforms like television and radio for news. Social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok are popular among younger audiences for news consumption. Older adults rely less on social media for news and prefer established news providers like BBC and ITV. Younger audiences have a diverse range of news sources, with no clear single preference for news, while older audiences have a clear preference for traditional TV broadcasters like BBC One and ITV. Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) news has seen a decline in reach, especially among younger age groups, indicating a shift towards online and social media sources. The BBC maintains a high cross-platform reach for news among UK adults, while Meta platforms, Google platforms, and traditional broadcasters also have significant reach across different age groups. Conventional sources like TV and radio are generally perceived as more trustworthy and accurate by older audiences than online or social media sources. Teens prefer lighter news topics and use a mix of social media and television for news, while older adults have a stronger preference for TV news.
The report demonstrates that a one-size-fits-all approach to news doesn’t work. The need for a service focusing on public interest news in Wales has never been greater, with maximum reach across platforms and ages.
With the Senedd elections being held in May 2016, Welsh citizens aged 15 and above need a trusted source of news and information to help them make informed decisions at the ballot box and encourage them to vote in greater numbers.
That’s why we’re taking a new approach.
You can learn more about our plans here.
Huw Marshall
Project Lead
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